Project Close Activities

Ending Projects Properly

Projects usually have a clearly defined end – a bridge
opens for public use, a product launches, or new software rolls out
to everyone in your organization.

As you approach the 'go live' stage and you're getting ready to
hand the new process over to 'business as usual', are you looking
forward to relaxing for a while, or are you already planning your
next project? Either way, before you move on to new
challenges, it's important you don't ignore the final step of
project closure.

This doesn't just mean dotting the 'I's, and crossing the 'T's,
or tying up any loose ends. It means capturing the lessons you've
learned during the project, so that your team – or other
departments within the organization – can benefit from them
next time. And, it also means taking stock of what you've achieved,
and celebrating your successes.

The steps you need to take to formalize the project's acceptance
are sometimes called the 'close project process.' This process
verifies that the project has delivered the required outcomes, and
that stakeholder expectations have been met. It also makes sure
that everyone involved in the project knows how to move forward.
Without formal closure, there's a risk that issues may arise, and
no one will be assigned to resolve them.

Project closure has many different elements, and the best way to
carry out a closure is to plan for it from the start. This way, you
have the opportunity to decide which criteria you'll use to show
that the project is actually completed, and you can budget time and
resources for the closing activities. As with all goals, it's
important to know what you need to do to cross the project finish
line.

Sometimes, a project is cancelled before it's finished. When
this happens, some parts of project closure become irrelevant.
However, other elements may still need to be completed.

In this article, you'll learn the steps for closing a project
properly. Start by adding the following guidelines for project
closure to your overall project plan. We've arranged them using the
project closure outputs defined by the Project Management Body of
Knowledge (PMBOK) Guide, and endorsed by the Project Management
Institute (PMI). As you read, think about the specific methods
you'll use to plan sufficiently for closure practices.

Administrative Closure

These activities relate to the overall management and oversight
of the project. You need to address issues such as these: